The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen by Collins Hemingway

Author:Collins Hemingway [Hemingway, Collins]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504911047
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published: 2015-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

Part II

Winter 1802-Summer 1805

Chapter 16

16 December 1802

Dearest Alethea

The occasion of my birthday reminds me of all the joy and good companions I have in my life, including you and your family. Every day since our departure from Hants House I have had reason to appreciate the good-heartedness you showed in accompanying us to Steventon. I have waited to express my thanks for fear that too early a letter might inflame the feelings of some in your household; yet I do not want to wait too long for fear you should consider me ungrateful.

Without your company, our removal would have resembled a rout. As it was, we might have pretended to be off on a quiet coach ride instead of fleeing from the well-deserved wrath of your family. Your presence helped mitigate the anguish we felt over the hurt we had caused. I say “we” because it is automatic to use that term when Cassandra and I are together. It is so much easier to pretend that someone else shared in the responsibility—though Cassy, once again, was simply along for the ride.

Your decision to join us must have led to a chill—if not an outright winter storm—upon your return to Hants House. I do not mean with Ashton, who I suspect drew comfort from our discreet leave-taking rather than from the debacle it might have been. Indeed, perhaps the general sense may have been one of relief. Did Mrs. Dennis feel anger at my insult to her family or joy that Ashton was free again to pursue a better match? I suspect your mother has the capacity to feel both emotions simultaneously.

It was good that you and Catherine left the rectory promptly. Though we did not discuss the cause of our unscheduled return—or of our insistence that James deliver us immediately to Bath—the haste of our business left Mary quite unhappy. She must have believed we were fleeing a smallpox epidemic. Because of the length of the journey, James had to hire another clergyman to preach in his absence. I do not know whether Mary’s alarm was the result of the cost of James’ replacement or of her not having access to the reason. Let her be peevish. My business is not hers. Even after a year, I remain peevish with her for having obtained all of our library for not a third of what the books were worth.

The proceedings at Bath were more subdued than you might have expected. While I sat in the bedroom, waiting to be called for the summary trial and execution, Cassandra explained all that had happened to Mother and Father. There was no uproar. I heard the door close to Father’s study. I heard the door close to Mother’s bedroom. Cass came to our room. We undressed in silence. The next few days were the quietest that one could ever experience in an Austen household.

It was not an angry silence but a sad one, as if we had lost a dear friend under tragic circumstances.

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